


Can't say what the future may hold

by lutavero



Series: Coldflash Week 2017 A [8]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Coldflash Week 2017, Coldflash week 2017 a, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Len is worried about his bae, M/M, Time Travel, Tumblr: coldflashweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 18:27:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10645536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lutavero/pseuds/lutavero
Summary: Len visits the future and finds himself in Central. On April 25th, 2024.Coldflash Week Day 8: Time Travel





	Can't say what the future may hold

“What happened to this place?” Len asks, looks at the tarpaulins and bags covering the computers and other equipment in the cortex. The amount of dust is unsettling. But it’s nothing compared to _Barry_.

Barry, who looks at him with a bittersweet smile, whose fringe hides his eyes and looks so miserable that Len's heart aches.

“Well, the better question is what didn’t happen to this place.” Barry, _his Barry_ would’ve laughed at this but this Barry just grimaces. “It hadn’t been cleaned in ages, Lenny.”

“But why, what happened?” _To the team, to you?_ is remaining unsaid.

Barry’s answer is simple. “Savitar.”

“Who’s Savitar?”

“You legends didn’t come across him? Lucky you.” Barry walks next to a glass board and that’s when Len notices the texts on it.

‘Music Meister gets a six-figure book deal.’ ’Luigi's opens after murder.’ ‘Joe West honored at City Hall.’ ‘Killer Frost still at large.’ ‘S.T.A.R. Labs museum closes.’ ‘City still recovering following gorilla attack.’

“Barry...what’s this?” Len steps closer.

“The future.” he runs his index finger under the Killer Frost one, collecting some dust. “Or more correctly, the past. The events I failed to stop.”

“Barry…”

“It’s good to see you Lenny.” his voice breaks and Len can’t take it anymore, he grips the younger - or is he the older now? Len doesn’t know - by his arm and draws him into a hug.

Barry tenses at first but then he relaxes and hugs Len closer to him. He’s trembling but otherwise is quiet, right hand fisted into his sweater.

Len has no idea how long they stand there, all that matters is that he finally can hug and hold Barry Allen. _His_ Barry Allen.

Barry releases him and carefully takes Len’s face into his hands. His eyes are too bright and Len knows it’s not from the dust. His smile is wavering as if he’s trying not to cry or say something stupid. And it’s such a heartbreaking sight.

“At first I was so worried that it’s not you who walked through that door. That you’re another Speed Force mirage.”

Len, at loss, smiles at the kid and brings their forehead together. “Barr, what happened?” he’s pretty sure he asked it at least 3 times just in the last minute but he needs to know so he can go after the bastard who hurt him like that.

“It’s a long story.” with a sigh, Barry steps backward and takes Len’s hand in his. “C’on, we need coffee for it.”

The walk to the small kitchenette is a small eternity, and with how many of the lights are out it feels like he walked into a horror movie.

Barry puts on the kettle and waits, neither of them attempts at speaking. When the coffee is ready, Barry pours some into two approximately clean mugs and offers some milk powder. Len wonders how many years have passed since someone used these.

“So,... “

“It’s a … really long story.” starts Barry and finally tells him everything.

How much happened after Len left with the Legends. How Jay Garrick turned out to be Zoom, how the bastard killed Henry in front of Barry in his childhood home, how the real Jay Garrick turned out to be his father doppelganger. How the time wraiths dragged Huner away, how he was transformed into the Black Flash. How Barry created an alternative timeline - _Flashpoint_ \- and when he realized how everything started spiraling out of control, he reset the timeline but everything - even if just minor parts - changed. How this new speedster - the God of Speed, at what Len just scoffed - recruited the metas from Flashpoint. The moment when get thrown into the future and saw how Savitar murdered Iris - _‘that’s why that board is out there. We tried to change those events so we could save her’_ \- and how everything went to Hell.

"I gave up being the Flash not long after that horrid night. After all, what's the point of being the hero when you can't even save your loved ones?" Barry's voice breaks and he swallows before continuing. “Caitlin is now out as Killer Frost, one of the strongest meta Central ever faced. Wally now is paralyzed from the waist down. Joe is an alcoholic and Cisco… is still here sometimes, to check the equipment. And Julian still comes by almost daily.”

“Who’s Julian?” Len asks and tries not to sound jealous, but Barry hears it and places his hand on Len’s, squeezing it.

“He was a coworker at the CCPD - he’s here because of Flashpoint - and then he became part of Team Flash. And he’s a really good guy, you’d like him.”

“Highly doubt it,” Len mutters and slowly caresses Barry’s hand with his other one and that’s when he notices something’s absence. “You’re …..?”

Barry looks confused and Len just can’t finish his sentence - _why are you not wearing it? did you move on? found someone better?_

“What do you...oh! Hold on!” Barry smiles a little, withdraws his hands and searches for something around his neck.

There’s a soft ‘click’ and Barry takes off a necklace, holds it so Len can see it and there’s the snowflake ring.

“It has been with me ever since that Christmas.” Barry’s voice is soft, nostalgic. “I couldn’t… the only reason why it’s not on my finger is because it’d have been easily erased by friction and the glove easily could’ve ripped it off so…. I chose the alternative. The lance is friction proof and it has been under my suit ever since that night in Vegas.”

Len just nods, knowing that if he opens his mouth he might start crying like a baby. He watches as the light breaks on it, glowing softly.

“It’s a memento… that once I was happy.” Barry looks fondly at the ring and holds out his hand. “Would you give it back? I’m quite selfish when it comes to our ring.”

“I have a better idea.” his voice is a drawl and carefully takes the other’s hand in his.

Barry’s surprise melts into something breakable but he nods wordlessly. Len slowly takes off the ring of the lace and with wavering fingers slides it to his place, onto Barry’s ring finger.

“There you go, the place it belongs. And not even this unknown Julian can pretend it’s not there and make a move.”

Barry’s laugh is sharp, fringe falling back into his face. It sounds like he hadn’t laughed in ages.

“God, I forgot how possessive you can be sometimes.”

They must look like some lovestruck teenagers but Len doesn’t care. Until he has _this_ , everyone can do whatever they want.

Barry’s phone - or some watch, Len’s not sure - starts ringing, breaking the moment.

Barry checks it and his joy is replaced with worry. “GA and Hawkgirl are in town, an hour til they make it to S.T.A.R.. C.”

“Why are they coming?”

“Have you checked the date, Lenny?” Barry's smile is bittersweet.

“Yeah, it’s 2024…” then it sinks in. “It’s April 25th, isn’t it?”

Barry’s wavering smile is enough of an answer. Len has seen the newspaper a few times and Barry talked about it too. The _‘Flash missing. Vanishes in crisis’_ are five words that’ll haunt him till the day he dies.

“We should get going.” Barry stands up, Len following suit. “I’ll arrive soon.”

“What?”

“I’ll just… explain it later okay? But now you should go, wait for Ollie and Kendra. Eobard will be back soon, too.” Barry looks ready to bolt but Len has other plans.

He takes Barry’s right hand in his and draws him closer to a kiss.

The kiss is full of love, withhold emotions, desperation, and happiness and it’s a perfect mix. When they part, Barry’s blissed out face, his little smile makes Len wanna hide Barry, until it’s at least the 26th. Or 2026. Or whatever. Len doesn’t care.

But he knows it’d be useless to try to dissuade Barry. So he just kisses him one more time and whispers the iconic line:

“Run Barry, run.”

**Author's Note:**

> And that's a wrap, I'm officially finished with Coldflash Week 2017 A! :D  
> And I'll be back when 2017 B rolls around in October! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧  
> Man, it was one hell of a ride. I managed to write over 13k, so I'm pretty proud of myself. (▰˘◡˘▰)  
> Thank you so much for the support, the kudos and the comments, it means a lot to me! Really, you made me smile with your comments and don't worry, the promised continuation will be up soon since I'm finished with the week itself!  
> Here's my [Tumblr](https://lutavero.tumblr.com) if you wanna chat or something. :)  
> Grammar errors and typos are on me!  
> Once again, thanks for reading!  
> I love all of you guys so much!! (●´ω｀●)


End file.
